AP men’s basketball Top 25: Undefeated Houston jumps Kansas as Seton Hall adds more chaos in Big East
Seton Hall has now won three straight games against ranked Big East opponents
The top of the college basketball world didn't move much this past week, but — if Big East play is any indication — that is right around the corner.
Here’s everything you missed in Week 9 of the season, and the latest Associated Press men’s basketball poll.
Houston jumps Hunter Dickinson, Kansas
It wasn’t easy, but Kansas is holding strong near the top of the Big 12.
Hunter Dickinson drew a flagrant foul in the final seconds of their matchup with TCU on Saturday afternoon, which led to a pair of free throws and eventually gave the Jayhawks a two-point win at Allen Fieldhouse. He took an elbow to the face from TCU’s Ernest Udeh, which sent him to the line. He scored four of Kansas’ last six points in the win, and finished with 30 points.
While they got the win, it wasn't enough to keep them right behind top-ranked Purdue. Houston, which is still undefeated after a 34-point blowout win over West Virginia on Saturday, jumped up to No. 2. Kansas slid a spot to No. 3.
Kansas hasn’t lost since it fell to Marquette in the Maui Invitational in November. After traveling to UCF this week, the Jayhawks will host No. 9 Oklahoma next weekend in what’s sure to be a great battle. The Sooners are 13-1, and are fresh off a tight win over Iowa State.
Baylor jumped to No. 14 this week after a five-point win over Oklahoma State. That brought the Bears to 12-2. As for the Cougars, they've got a tough slate ahead of them this week. They'll head to Ames to take on Iowa State on Tuesday night, and then will get TCU in Fort Worth on Saturday.
Kansas may be holding on now, but with how the Big 12 is looking, it’s only going to get tougher for the Jayhawks.
Seton Hall grabs third upset win in Big East
It’s time to talk about Seton Hall.
The Pirates picked up their third major upset of the season last week, this time knocking off Marquette 78-75. The win was just the latest for Seton Hall already in Big East play, following a 15-point win over UConn and a four-point win over Providence all within the last month.
Seton Hall didn't quite crack the rankings this week, but they received 34 votes — which made it the No. 34 team in the country. Marquette fell four spots to No. 11.
The Pirates have been good lately, but they do have some issues. Most recently, between their wins against UConn and Providence, the Pirates fell by 20 points to unranked Xavier. They also lost to Iowa, Rutgers, Baylor and USC this season. Only one of those teams is still ranked.
That’s made it hard to judge the Pirates. They look like a NCAA tournament-caliber team under second-year coach Shaheen Holloway. Kadary Richmond is averaging a team-high 15.7 points per game, and Al-Amir Dawes dropped 23 points against the Golden Eagles. The Pirates hold the lead in an already wide open Big East, too, after several notable upsets so far in conference play.
Seton Hall faces Georgetown on Tuesday, and then will travel to Butler on Saturday. If they can keep winning consistently, the Pirates will undoubtedly be a team to look out for down the stretch. But if things slip again, who knows who is going to come out of the Big East on top.
Games to watch this week
Tuesday, Jan. 9
No. 18 BYU at No. 14 Baylor | 9 p.m. ET | Big 12 Network
No. 2 Houston at Iowa State | 7 p.m. ET | ESPN2
Wednesday, Jan. 10
No. 7 North Carolina at NC State | 8 p.m. ET | ESPN
No. 9 Oklahoma at TCU | 9 p.m. ET | ESPN2
Thursday, Jan. 11
Michigan State at No. X Illinois | 9 p.m. ET | FS1
Saturday, Jan. 13
No. 9 Oklahoma at No. 3 Kansas | 2 p.m. ET | Big 12 Network
No. 2 Houston at TCU | 6 p.m. ET | ESPN
AP Top 25
The full AP Top 25 poll from January 8, 2024.
1. Purdue (14-1)
2. Houston (14-0)
3. Kansas (13-1)
4. UConn (13-2)
5. Tennessee (11-3)
6. Kentucky (11-2)
7. North Carolina
8. Arizona (12-3)
9. Oklahoma (13-1)
10. Illinois (11-3)
T11. Marquette (11-4)
T11. Duke (11-3)
13. Memphis (13-2)
14. Baylor (12-2)
15. Wisconsin (13-3)
16. Auburn (12-2)
17. Colorado State (13-2)
18. BYU (12-2)
19. San Diego State (13-2)
20. Utah State (14-1)
21. Clemson (11-3)
22. Creighton (11-4)
23. Gonzaga (11-4)
24. FAU (11-4)
25. Texas (11-3)
Others receiving votes: Dayton 126, Mississippi 125, James Madison 98, Cincinnati 79, Nevada 77, Texas Tech 62, Wake Forest 38, Grand Canyon 35, Seton Hall 34, South Carolina 29, Miami 27, St. John's 18, Iowa State 16, Colorado 8, NC State 7, Michigan St. 7, Alabama 7, Providence 6, Oregon 4, TCU 3, Northwestern 3, Princeton 2, Utah 2.
